Package holder for textile machines



Jan. 12, 1965 E. L. REMINGTON 3,165,279

PACKAGE HOLDER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Dec. 8, 1961 INV EN TOR.

If? 4 BY ELLIOTT LREMINGTON.

Wm %M A TTORNE Y United States Patent Office ddfiizlfi Patented Jan. 12, 1965 3,165,279 PACKAGE HOLDER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Elliott L. Remington, Hopkinton, Mass, assignor to Draper (Iorporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed Dec. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 157,987 1 Claim. (Cl. 242130) This invention pertains to a package holder for textile machines and, more particularly, to an improved type package holder for so-called shuttleless looms.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved package holder for shuttleless looms that provides a positive locking fit within the package cone assembled thereon.

It is a further and more specific object of the invention to provide a package holder that in addition to its positive locking feature is capable of withstanding loom vibration and variable package weights as well as being automatically adjustable to the progressive wear of package cones designed to assemble thereon.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure.

In so-called shuttleless looms, that is, those looms in which filling is supplied from an outside source and is not carried to and fro through the shed by the shuttle or carrier itself, it is common practice to utilize a package holder at one side of the loom to support the supply of filling from which the required amounts are withdrawn during loom operation. Package holders utilized prior to the instant invention possess limitations which are considered unsatisfactory for present day looms.

Such package holders are often limited to the weight of a package which they are able to support, and the increased speed of todays looms has increased the inevitable vibrations that accompany a loom in operation.

The vibration of a loom is very often the cause of failure of such package holders to firmly position a filling package thereon, and in the event of such a condition premature wear of the holder results along with excessive wearing of the cone member on which the filling package is wound. Additionally, difiiculty is often experienced in properly donning a filling package due to the bore of the cone being oversize as a result of premature wear that resulted from not being firmly held on previous occasions.

According to the instant invention a novel package holder can now be provided which features an expandable collet that holds the filling package by means of a wedging action. This wedging action provides a positive locking fit that is capable of withstanding the vibration of a loom as well as the particular weight of a package which may be applied thereon. The expandable collet automatically adjusts to the progressive wear of the filling cones and the design thereof lends itself to quick, easy assembly and positive positioning of a new filling supply. If desired, applicants package holder'will permit rotation of the package on the spindle without damaging the holder assembly or the cone member which supports the filling package.

The invention will be described in detail by reference to the specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation showing the various components of the invention and the position of the wedge FIG. 3 is a cutaway view and partially in section of a portion of the invention showing the wedge supporting spindle in that position illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 but showing the wedge member in that position illustrated in FIG. 2.

There is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a package support bracket indicated generally by numeral 10 having an expandable collet generally indicated by numeral 11 extending outwardly from one end thereof. Collet 11 is adapted to seat in an axially aligned, longitudinally extending counterbored hole 12 provided in bracket 10 and is firmly held therein by means of a set screw 13. Axially aligned with hole 12, the opposite end of bracket 10 is internally threaded for a portion of its length as at 14 and is adapted to threadably receive therein the threaded portion 15 (preferably left-handed) of a wedge supporting spindle indicated generally by numeral 16. This spindle assembles within collet 11 and bracket 10 and extends outwardly from either end thereof. Extending outwardly from the threaded portion 15, spindle 16 is provided with a neck member 17 which is adapted to receive a spindle handle 18 that is fixedly assembled thereto by means of a pin 19. The opposite end of this spindle is provided with an integrally formed wedge member 20 which when turning handle 18 will cause this member to move longitudinally with respect to the centerline axis of the holder either away from or into engagement with collet ll. Collet 11 at its free end is provided with four equally spaced slots 21 which extend a distance equal to approximately one-half the overall length of said collet. The divided side walls of the collet which remain form fingers 22 which are caused to fiex outwardly when turning the spindle in an anti-clockwise direction thus moving wedge member 20 into engagement with said fingers. Those surfaces of fingers 22 as at 22' which are acted upon by surface 2% of wedge member Ztl are inclined along substantially the same plane to provide a larger area of contact between them. The bases and tips of the fingers 22 are knurled as at 23 and 24 to form gripping surfaces which are caused to bear outwardly against the sides of a hole 25 provided in a yarn supporting cone 26.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, cone 26 is adapted to assemble over that portion of collet 11 and spindle 16 which extends outwardly from bracket 10. When the wedge member 20 is in its extended position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cone 26 can be easily assembled or removed from its operating position and can be rotated thereon without damaging the internal surface of the cone or the package holder components upon which it is guided. Rotation of the package is a common practice I which enables a weaver to find the end of the yarn wound supporting spindle when donning a new supply of filling thereon. When the wedge member 20 is drawn into contact with fingers 22, it causes said fingers to fiex outwardly to lock firmly the cone 26 in operating position. The longitudinal movement of the wedge supporting spindle 16 is limited to prevent excessive expansion of the fingers 22. The spindle in its fullest extended position is limited to further movement in that direction by means of handle 18 hearing against the end of bracket 10. Excessive movement in the opposite direction is controlled by the limited amount of thread on the spindle which automatically prevents further movement when the limit of the threads has been reached by turning the handle 18 in a clockwise direction.

The package support bracket 10 is provided with a mounting means which includes a bolting surface 27 and a lug 28 extending therefrom against which an adjustrnent screw (not shown) is caused to bear enabling angular adjustment of the complete assembly.

In operation, a cone of yarn is placed on the exposed spindle and collet and is locked thereon by approximately one-half of a turn of the spindle handle in a clockwise direction. to draw the wedge member into contact with the collet fingers and to flex them outwardly into locking contact with the internal surfaces of cone26.

verse action of approximately one-half a turn of the spindle handle in a counterclockwise direction.

Those portions of fingers 22 between the knurled bases and tips 23 and 24 are progressively reduced in thickness along their length. Starting at the outer edge of the knurled surface 23, the outer surfaces of the fingers gradually taper inwardly until they reach the knurled tip surface at which point their full thickness is regained. This gradual relief between the two knurled surfaces permits automatic adjustment to progressive wear of the package cone. Under actual operating conditions, a new package cone is firmly held only by the knurled tips 24; however, in the event of wear at the tips points of contact, the wedge member 20 will automatically be drawn into further contact with fingers 22 to compensate for such wear.

the knurled surfaces 25 to then make contact with, the

Moving the tips 24 further outwardly allows cone thus locking the same thereto.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried'out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention'and the scope of the claim.

I claim: p a A package holder for textile machines which comprises a supportingmeinber, an expandable collet having one end thereof attached to said member and the other end thereof being slotted in a longitudinal direction, a spindle To release this locking hold upon a package cone,simply requires a. con-.

This amount of movement is sutficient away from said collet to release said yarn package therefrom, separately disposed first and second gripping surfaces being provided on each said slotted portions of said collet, said first surfaces being adapted to hold firmly said yarn package thereon and said second surface being adapted to supplement said first gripping surface should the bore of the spool of said yarn package become'worn to the extent that the latter gripping surface isunable to hold said package securely thereto, said'flspindle being' threadably. received into said-supporting member and having a neck portion extending outwardly therefrom,

said manual means comprising a handle fixedly attached to said neck portion for selectively turning said spindle to move said wedge member :into and'away from the slotted portionsof said expandable collet, the slotted portions of said collet intermediate thefirst and second gripping surfaces being of reduced thickness to permit said secondgripping surface to contact the bore of the spool of said yarn package when said first gripping surface becomes ineifective. I

7 References Cited in the file of this patentv UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 984,809 Goodrich Feb.21, 1911 1,921,316 Mattern et a1; Aug. 8, 1933 2,289,631 Cuda et a1. .4 "duly 14, 1942 2,562,658 Bonebrake July 31, 1951 2,733,874 Petersonet al Feb. 7,1956

Cohn Mar. 15, 1960 

